I’ve been coming across our title phrase—or rather, it’s been coming across me—a lot lately (Rom. 9:8, Gal. 4:28). How do we live like “children of promise”? One way to look at it also came across me lately…

As I’ve been working through the prayers in Dawn to Dark (review, for those who missed it, here), one of the exercises was to reflect on my baptism, nearly 30 years ago. What I remember was this: I had no real desire to do it, but I did it anyway out of obedience. And ironically (or fittingly), the week that followed was one of the most joyful of my life.

Obedience isn’t popular in our time (or any, really), let alone in our country. We’d rather be “relevant,” or “tolerant,” or really anything that “proves to God” that we love Him short of obeying Him (and thus really shows that we love other people’s approval a lot more).

But the fact is, we are children of the promise. And we cannot fulfill the promise we have in God without obedience.

We must believe that God really intends to save us and use us for His purposes, not ours. And we must pursue knowing and desiring God’s purposes. And then—even when we do understand or “feel led”—walk them out in obedience. Because that’s what a child of promise does.